Barker’s incredible journey from junior time trial world champion on British Cycling’s Olympic Development Programme, to world champion was realised thanks to support from Welsh Cycling

Team pursuit world champion Elinor Barker is looking forward to reuniting with Team Wales when she competes on the road and track at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Barker’s incredible journey from junior time trial world champion on British Cycling’s Olympic Development Programme, to world champion was realised thanks to support from Welsh Cycling.

Barker describes the help she received as a junior as fundamental to her success.

“I’m really glad to going back in to the Welsh environment, back with the team,” said the Cardiff star.

“All the staff were pretty fundamental with me getting the junior world champs title and then also moving to the seniors they were incredibly helpful and they gave me so many opportunities, so it’s nice to go back and work with them again.”

Competing in five events in two weeks, starting with the 3,000m individual pursuit in Friday means she will be pitted against her day-to-day teammates Laura Trott, Dani King, Katie Archibald and Joanna Rowsell.

Although they have raced each other in training, Barker is insistent that a competition environment will be a different test.

“Racing in training against each other is good and it gives you an indicator of where you are especially because they’re some of the best girls in the world,” Barker told Welsh Cycling.

“But it’ll obviously be a lot different because everyone’s not going to be completely on their game for training, whereas race day everybody’s going to be bringing their best.

“I think riding against the likes of Katie, Laura and Dani is going to be very weird because we train together every day and I’m so used to being their teammates.

“Laura, Dani and Jo in particular as we’re teammates on the track and the road so it’s just going to be bizarre racing against them. It’s going to be really weird but hopefully we can still be friends through it.”

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